


Secrets

by fmpsimon



Series: Holidays with Promptis [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Friendship, M/M, Promptis - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-15 21:42:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9258413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fmpsimon/pseuds/fmpsimon
Summary: Noctis and Prompto have finally figured things out, and they have a shot at something great.  But everyone has secrets. Sequel to "From: Ignis."  (Sorry, I'm terrible at summaries, but if you liked the first two, read this)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> To get the full context for this story, keep in mind that there are two other stories that come before this: "Eggnog and Mistletoe" and "From: Ignis." You don't have to read them, but you might like them, and then it would all make perfect sense. If you've already read them, thank you! I appreciate and love you all! Your continued support is my reason for writing and posting!

            Noctis awoke to the jarring sound of his phone vibrating on the bedside table.  He shot up and stared blearily at the device.  A phone call?  He exhaled, trying to wake up enough to answer the phone.  He fumbled for the phone and managed to swipe his finger across it.  It took him a second, but he pressed the phone to his ear and mumbled, “Hello?”

            “Did I wake you?  It’s Ignis.”

            He rubbed his eyes.  “It’s the middle of the night,” he said groggily, an edge to his voice.  Prompto stirred beside him, rolling onto his other side.  The night before came back to him, and a rush of heat rose up in his chest at the thought of Prompto sitting in his lap, kissing him.

            “You weren’t answering my texts.  Or my calls,” Ignis added.  He sounded like he was barely containing his anger.  Why was he so upset?  Or was he worried?  Ugh, it was too late for this…or maybe too early.

            “I guess I fell asleep.”  He hung his head, shaking it a little, trying to wake himself up.  It was almost one in the morning.  He yawned.  “I can’t believe you’re still up.  Isn’t it past your bedtime?”  He was starting to feel more awake now.

            “I couldn’t sleep until I made sure you were all right,” Ignis said, devoid of emotion.

            “Aw, that’s sweet,” Noctis teased.

            “No, just my job.”  He paused.  “You did have a wild night last weekend.”

            “Yeah, about that,” Noctis said, rubbing his forehead.  “So, you leave champagne at my door on New Year’s Eve, and then tell _me_ not to do anything stupid?  After Christmas?” Noctis said.  “You realize how counterintuitive that is, right?”

            “I told you not to do something you’d regret,” Ignis corrected him.  “There’s a difference.”

            “And you’re calling because…what?  You wanted to check and make sure?”  Noctis rolled his eyes.

            “Would you rather have me show up at your door?” he snapped.  “Whether you like it or not, I’ve been tasked with keeping you safe, which includes calling to check on you when I suspect you might be making poor decisions.  And yes, I left you a bottle of wine.  It’s traditional to have a glass of champagne to ring in the new year.  I did _not_ expect you to go through the entire bottle in a few minutes.”

            “We’re twenty!” Noctis said incredulously, struggling to keep his voice low.  And there was that other bottle of wine, stashed in the cupboard.  But Ignis didn’t need to know about that.  “And you were there last week, right?  I drank half a batch of eggnog singlehandedly.”  He frowned.  Saying it out loud made it even worse.  And in reality, it had probably been more than half.

            “I didn’t call to argue, Noct,” Ignis said sternly.  “I just…”  He sighed.  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

            “Oh, sure,” Noctis said, an edge growing in his voice.  “So, where’s Gladio?”

            “What?  What are you implying?”

            Noctis scoffed.  “C’mon, I know you two are screwing.”  He didn’t, but he was really pissed at Ignis right now.  Irrationally so.

            “All right,” Ignis said, determined to swiftly end the conversation.  “So relieved to hear you’re well.  You’d better get your beauty rest, Prince Noctis.”  He said the name like it was a bad taste in his mouth.  And then he hung up.  Noctis glared at his phone.  With an exasperated sigh, he set it down on the table, a little harder than he had intended.

            “Hey,” Prompto’s voice cut through the darkness.  “Are you okay?”

            “Never better.”  He lay back down, staring up at the ceiling.  After a minute, he glanced at his bedfellow.  Prompto’s eyes were shut again.  That was good.  He needed to sleep it off.  He chewed his lip, suddenly struck by how strange it was that Prompto was in his bed.  But what was strange about it was that it wasn’t strange at all.  He turned over and shut his eyes.  Despite being a complete and total jerk, Ignis was right about Noctis needing to get some sleep.  It took some time, but he eventually drifted off.

            He awoke the next morning to the sound of moaning from the other side of the bed.  “Ugh, my head,” Prompto groaned.  “God, what did I _do_ last night?”

            Noctis yawned, then smirked, “What _didn’t_ you do?”  Prompto turned to him, his brow creased with worry.  “Well, the best part of the night was when you tried to dance with the Christmas tree.”  With a grin, he continued to tell him about his drunken antics.  Prompto’s worry turned to horror, and then embarrassment.

            He furrowed his brow.  “The worst part is that I can totally see myself doing all of those things,” he said, dragging his hands across his face.  He peeked through his fingers, then narrowed his eyes.  “But you were supposed to be trashed too!  It’s not fair!”

            “You got to be sober on Christmas,” Noctis said.  “Besides, I was buzzed.”  He paused.  “But to be honest, it was _way_ funnier that way.”  Prompto covered his head with the pillow, moaning something unintelligible.  Noctis laughed.  “Hey.”  He tugged on the pillow, but Prompto had a firm grip on it.  “Hey, c’mon.  Don’t be embarrassed.”

            Prompto slowly uncovered his head, peeking out.  His face was surprisingly pale as Noctis pulled the pillow off.  “I think I’m gonna throw up,” he said, before rushing into the bathroom, his hand clapped to his mouth.

            Noctis grimaced, listening to his best friend heaving up last night’s dinner and wine into the toilet.  After it sounded like he was finished, he called, “Prompt?”  With a little hesitation, he went in after him.  Prompto was sprawled out on the tiled floor, still pale.  “Are you okay?”  Prompto didn’t respond.  He was just staring up at the ceiling.  He knelt down next to him.  “Hey.  It’s no big deal.  You’re not the first person to get drunk and throw up.  Gladio did it last week.”

            “It’s not that,” Prompto said at length.  “It’s just…I feel uncomfortable and…inadequate around you.  Like, the only time it’s okay to kiss you is when I’m drunk or you’re drunk.”  He sighed.  “I’m such a loser.  I’m not good enough for you.”

            “C’mon, that’s stupid,” Noctis said dismissively.

            “No, it isn’t.”  Prompto sat up.  “And you saying that just proves my point.”

            “You’re just saying all this because you’re feeling like shit.”  Noctis frowned.  “Come on.  You need a hot shower and…maybe some tea.”  He stood up and turned the shower on, then helped Prompto to his feet.  He didn’t let go of his hands.  “Look, I’m sober, you’re sober,” he said, then kissed him tenderly.  Noctis smiled, albeit a little awkwardly.  “Better?”

            Prompto gave him a crooked smile.  “Dude, I just threw up.”

            “I know.  Please take a shower.  And brush your teeth—just use mine.”  Noctis spit into the sink to get the bad taste out of his mouth.  Prompto was feeling so off that he apparently forgot how embarrassed he was to let other people see his body, and he started shedding clothes.  Noctis, on the other hand, turned red and left the room, but not before taking him in with his eyes.

            After that, Prompto headed home.  He figured he should, plus he wanted to change and wish his parents a happy new year if there were home.  Noctis wondered why Prompto still lived in his parents’ home, but he suspected it might be related to finances, so he had never brought it up.

            “You should just leave some clothes here,” Noctis said casually, leaning on the door of the apartment while Prompto stood in the hallway.  “Or I can have one of the staff get you some new clothes.”

            Prompto crossed his arms, smiling.  “I dunno, bro.  I have a very particular style.”

            Noctis chuckled.  “I think I have your style down: punk kid, thinks he’s more stylish than he is.”

            “Hey, chains are coming back in style!” Prompto said a little defensively, but the former smile still twitched at the corners of his mouth.  “I’m just ahead of the game.”

            “Right,” Noctis said, nodding.  Prompto waved and pantomimed phone to the side of his head as he headed for the stairwell.  Noctis smiled; he wanted him to call him later.  He called Ignis as soon as he was back inside.  The phone rang and rang, and eventually went to voicemail.  “Huh, must be busy,” he murmured.  “Hey, Specs, it’s your favorite prince.  I’ve got a favor to ask, so call me back.”

            A day went by and he still hadn’t heard back.  He thought back to the last conversation they had.  He hadn’t been in the best mood and had probably said some things that weren’t appropriate.  But that was just the way Noctis was.  It had never bothered Ignis before.  He frowned.  Maybe it had and Ignis had just never said anything about it.  He wasn’t usually one to complain.

            By the next morning, Noctis was actually worried.  This wasn’t like Ignis at all.  He tried to distract himself from his wild imagination, but it continued to get the better of him as the day went on.  When evening came, he took the Star of Lucis out of storage and drove to Ignis’s apartment.  His driving was a bit rusty, and he ran a few red lights.  Luckily for him, no cop would dare ticket the Prince of Lucis, especially if he were on official business, which of course he was—always.

            It was dark outside, but Insomnia was never truly dark, like any other big city.  Noctis rang the doorbell and stepped back, waiting.  After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened, and a bedraggled man answered the door.  Noctis almost didn’t recognize him.  Ignis wasn’t wearing his glasses, his hair was unkempt, and his shirt was untucked.  “Yes?” he said.

            “You don’t talk to me for two days, and all you can say is, ‘yes’?” Noctis demanded.

            Ignis rolled his eyes back.  “Yes…sir.”  Noctis frowned.  “Is that better?”

            “Can I come in, please?”  Ignis hesitated, but stepped aside, then closed the door behind the prince.  “I was worried about you.  Why didn’t you return my call?”

            “I was busy,” Ignis replied.  He retrieved his glasses from the end table and delicately cleaned them with his handkerchief, before resting them on the bridge of his nose.  He glanced at the nearby stack of paperwork and Noctis’s eyes traveled there.

            “What’s all this?”  He opened the top file carefully and peered inside.  For some reason, Ignis wasn’t stopping him.  He didn’t register what was printed on the paper, but one thing stood out: _Prompto Argentum_.  He pushed a few more pages aside, stopping when a photograph fell out.  It was a child.  The boy was maybe four or five, pale and freckled, with unmistakable blond hair.  He looked up at Ignis, brow furrowed, still holding the photo.  “What is this?”

            Ignis sighed, crossing his arms.  “That is everything we know about Prompto Argentum,” he said matter-of-factly.  “I’ve been sifting through that information for the past few days.  That’s why I didn’t respond.”

            Noctis gaped at him.  “Why do you have a file for Prompto?”

            Ignis’s spectacles had slid down his nose slightly, so he pushed them back up.  “There’s a file for everyone.  You don’t get close to the royal family without having one of these.”  He gestured towards the stack of papers.  “I’m sure I have one too, though I’ve never been allowed to see it,” he said a little darkly.

            Noctis paged through the file, becoming more upset.  “ _Birthdate: Unknown.  Birthplace: Unknown.  Birth Certificate: Undocumented_.  What the hell _is_ this?  His birthday is October 25 th—he was born here in the Crown City!  This background check is wrong.”  Noctis dropped the file back on the stack.

            “It’s not wrong,” Ignis said calmly.  “According to the information we have, Prompto Argentum doesn’t exist.”  He exhaled slowly.  “There are no records of his birth in Insomnia.  He’s undocumented.”  Noctis scowled.  “I’m telling you this because the Crownsguard is concerned about your welfare.”

            “Fuck the Crownsguard,” Noctis growled.  “I don’t give a damn where Prompto was born, even if it wasn’t in Lucis.  He’s as much a Crown citizen as I am,” he snapped.  “Are you saying you don’t trust him?”

            Ignis shook his head.  “On the contrary.  I think he’s honest, and I happen to like him.  Very genuine and down to earth.”

            “But?” Noctis said, crossing his arms.

            “But,” Ignis began, a pained expression on his face, “part of my job is to protect you.  When I thought this was just friendship between two teenagers, I let it go.  But the nature of your relationship has changed.  You’re closer, you’ve possibly even given him the code to your apartment, something you’ve been forbidden to do, need I remind you.”  Noctis rolled his eyes and Ignis took a step towards him, leaning down slightly.  “Do you know how easy it would be for me to slit your throat right now?”

            “I’d like to see you try,” Noctis scoffed.

            Ignis ignored him, stepping back.  “Now imagine you’re asleep in your bed, and your lover is beside you, sleeping peacefully.  But is he?  How well do you _really_ know him?  He could just as easily be plotting your assassination.”

            “This is ridiculous,” Noctis said incredulously.  “I’ve been controlled by someone or another my whole life, and now you want to control who I _sleep_ with too?!”

            Ignis sighed.  “Look, I think Prompto is exactly who he appears to be.  I don’t think he’s some murderous villain out to assassinate you.  But I know him.  _They_ don’t.”  Noctis turned around, shaking his head and pacing the room.

            He stopped and turned to Ignis.  “I’m not going to end things with him just because the Crownsguard thinks he’s a Nif spy.”

            “I’m not asking you to do that.  But this isn’t just about you either,” Ignis said.  “I know you don’t want to hear this, but because of who you are and because of who he is…this is only going to hurt him in the end.”

Noctis glared at him.  He couldn’t even say it.  “Because of _who he is_?  You mean, because he wasn’t born rich?  Or—or born into some family who’s been serving royalty for generations?”  Ignis averted his eyes for a moment, then gave him a sad look.  Noctis shook his head and walked to the door.  He clenched his fists.  “I love who he is, and I…I love him.”

            “Noct,” Ignis attempted, stepping towards him.  “Noct!”

            But Noctis was out the door.  He wasn’t going to believe any of that—he _knew_ Prompto, almost better than he knew his own father.  He climbed into the car and slammed the door.  Even if he wasn’t from Lucis, he didn’t care.  It didn’t matter.  He was still Prompto.  And Ignis…while he may not have been helping them dig up dirt, he wasn’t doing anything to help.  Although he hadn’t exactly given him any time to explain.  Noctis drove aimlessly as he tried to cool off.  He didn’t know where to go, but he knew where _didn’t_ want to go, and that was home.  He didn’t want to be alone.  He wanted to vent, but the two people he always turned to were off limits: Ignis was part of the problem, and Prompto…


	2. Chapter Two

            It was the middle of the night when he showed up at Prompto’s apartment.  He rang the doorbell and waited, jittery and anxious.  Running his hand through his hair, he tried to shake off the nerves that had suddenly popped up when moments ago he had only felt rage and betrayal.  Prompto opened the door.  “Noct, what are you doing here?”  He squinted in the low light.  “You look terrible.  What’s wrong?”  Noctis stared at his best friend, but he couldn’t find any words.  He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.  “Noct,” Prompto began, but before he could get another word out, Noctis crashed into him, kissing him harder and fiercer than he had ever kissed anyone.  Using one arm to grip the blond tightly around the middle, he used the other to push the front door closed.  The quiet beeps from the automated locking system assured him there would be no interruptions, and he roughly backed Prompto, eyes wide, against the nearest wall.

            “Noct,” Prompto murmured against his hungry lips, “what if my parents were home?”

            “I figured they wouldn’t be,” Noctis said between kisses.  “And I was right.”  He focused on Prompto’s lips again, jamming his tongue inside his mouth, exploring, searching.  Neither one of them was drunk; they were cognizant of every touch, every grab, every taste—it was like they were experiencing this for the first time, finally.  Noctis could feel some hesitation at first, but Prompto eventually gave in and melted into him.  He met Noctis’s ferocity with a certain languidness, letting him be in complete control.  The prince seized that opportunity, using his now free hands to loosen Prompto’s belt.  He gave into it, wanted it, even, thrusting his hips into the prince as his hands wandered up underneath his shirt.  Noctis was spurred on by the touch on his bare skin and the feeling of Prompto’s fingernails digging into his back; he unbuttoned and unzipped Prompto’s jeans with quick fingers.  Even then, the fabric was still tight against his hand as he shoved it downwards, grasping Prompto’s cock.  God, he was so hard.  He slid his hand upwards, applying pressure to the tip, sending a shiver through Prompto’s entire body.  The blond let out the faintest moan, tilting his head back as his legs weakened and he started to slide down.  Noctis stopped him from sliding any further and said breathlessly, “Bedroom.”

            Prompto nodded in agreement, gripping Noctis as they made their way to his room blindly, bumping into walls and a few end tables along the way.  Something crashed to the floor and Noctis broke the kiss.  He started to apologize, but Prompto said, “I’ll get it later,” grabbing his face and kissing him again.  When they made it inside, he closed the door and locked it.  “Just in case,” he said sheepishly.

            Noctis glanced around as he removed his shirt.  Ordinarily he would have been a little creeped out at the number of photographs of himself that were strewn about the room.  Right now, though, he just wanted his best friend to grab his dick.  “C’mon, you too,” he said with smile, easing Prompto’s shirt off.  He took him in for a moment.  Prompto’s build was so different from his own; slight, yet still muscular, and lithe.  Freckles dotted his shoulders and arms, but his chest was pale and unblemished.  Prompto seemed to be fixated on Noctis’s abs, the product of many hours of training with Gladio.

            “Wow, Noct,” he said, his tone teasing, “you’re ripped.”  He flashed him a goofy grin.

            “Yeah, yeah,” Noctis said, grabbing Prompto around the waist and pulling him in for a kiss.  To his surprise, Prompto pushed him onto the bed, climbing into his lap like he had done several nights before.  Only this time, he wasn’t drunk off his ass on expensive champagne and cooking wine.  Noctis smiled, enjoying his rare display of dominance as he shoved his tongue into the prince’s mouth.  He pressed his knee against Noctis’s groin, and while it hurt a little, he’d never felt anything so amazing.  Prompto broke away, kissing his neck and his chest, while Noctis tangled his fingers through his blond hair.  Prompto undid Noctis’s pants, stroking his cock; this time, Noctis was shivering.  He teased him; bringing him almost to climax and then backing off.  “I didn’t know you had it in you,” Noctis said weakly, his chest heaving, pulling the blond down for another kiss.

            “Yeah, I’m just full of surprises,” Prompto said with a sly grin.  He grabbed his dick again, but was distracted when his wristband caught on Noctis’s zipper.  “Take off your pants.”

            Noctis arched his back a little, closing his eyes.  “Don’t need to.  Just take the band off.”

            Prompto stiffened.  “I can’t,” he murmured.

Noctis opened his eyes, puzzled.  He tugged at the bands around his friend’s wrist.  “C’mon, just take them off,” he said, pulling himself up.

            Prompto pulled his hand away.  “I never take them off,” he said as Noctis kissed his collar bone.

            “What?  Why?”  Noctis placed his hands back on Prompto’s ass, sliding his fingers through the belt loops.

            “I just don’t,” he replied, his tone slightly defensive.

            “C’mon, I’m never gonna get off if they keep getting in the way,” Noctis said a little callously.  Prompto frowned, climbing off the bed and quickly hiking his own pants back up.  “Prompt,” he protested, covering himself again and zipping up his pants.  He exhaled, overtly annoyed with himself.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to—”

            “What’s going on with you, anyway?” Prompto interrupted.  “You show up here practically in the middle of the night and—and jump me, without any warning.”  He looked at him, and it was the closest thing to a glare that Noctis had ever seen on his friend’s face.  It was awful; but what was worse was the fact that the anger was directed at him.  “My folks could have been home, and then they would’ve found out about us, about _me_ , and the way I am.  I barely see them as it is.  And if they found out about _this_ …they’d probably never come around anymore.”  He sat down at the end of the bed.

            Noctis felt his chest ache.  God, he was such an idiot.  What had he been thinking, coming here?  Ignis was right: it was one thing to ruin his own life, but to wreck Prompto’s…he couldn’t do that—he didn’t have any _right_ to do that.  He hung his head, raking his hand across his forehead.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.  I was upset when I came here, and I got carried away.”  He suddenly felt self-conscious, half naked, with his leg dangling off the bed, and Prompto all the way on the other side.  The mood in the room had turned upside down, and the tension was palpable.  “I should probably go,” he said at length.

            Prompto barely glanced at him.  He crossed his arms, hunching his shoulders, and Noctis was struck by how small and vulnerable he seemed.  A sigh escaped his lips before he said softly, “I don’t want you to go.”

            He was a little surprised.  “You don’t?”

            Prompto furrowed his brow.  “No,” he said, as if it should have been obvious.  “Noct, you’re…you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.  Really the _only_ friend I’ve ever had,” he added.  “And,” he began, but ended with a sigh.  “Never mind.”

            “What?” Noctis said.

Prompto glanced at him, a pained expression on his face.  “And…I’m afraid that every time you go, I might never see you again, because you’re gonna realize that I’m nothing, and—and nobody.”

            Noctis moved closer to him while Prompto threw him a sidelong glance.  “I get it,” he said.  Prompto blinked.  “I feel that way too sometimes.”  He smiled slightly, looking away.  “Like when I first realized I had a crush on you.  I was a wreck when I was alone, because you seem so easy-going and happy that I was positive some girl would snatch you up.”

            Prompto blushed a little, laughing it off.  “Yeah, right.”

            “It’s true,” Noctis said.  He leaned against his shoulder.  “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

            Prompto uncrossed his arms and exhaled, digging his fingers into his knees.  “But what if I’m not that guy you fell for?  What if…what if it turns out I’m not who you think I am?”

            His eyes were hard, but they softened when Noctis took his hand.  “I know who you are.  You’re Prompto Argentum, Crown citizen, my best friend, and the person…”  He exhaled shakily.  “The person I can’t live without.”  He swallowed.  “Okay?”

            Prompto sniffled, turning away as he brought his other hand to his nose.  He nodded quickly.  “Okay.”  He gripped Noctis’s hand a little more tightly.

“Sorry for being such a jerk,” Noctis said at length.  “It’s no excuse, but…Ignis got me all riled up.  I didn’t know where else to go.”

            Prompto frowned.  “I thought you hadn’t heard from him.”

            “I went to see him.  I was actually worried about the guy,” Noctis admitted bitterly.  “But turns out he was just giving me the silent treatment.”

            “Huh, mature,” Prompto said with a snort.  He waited for Noctis to continue, but when it was apparent that he wasn’t planning to, he asked, “What did he say?”

            Noctis swallowed.  He couldn’t tell him the truth, because the truth was that Ignis had all but suggested his best friend was a spy for the Empire.  Noctis had to admit that certain things would make more sense if it were true: the Argentums, for one.  He thought back to what Ignis had said, and began to wonder if Prompto had any parents at all.  They were absent so much that even _Prompto_ didn’t know them.  Glancing around, he wondered if any of the pictures on the wall were of the Argentums.  The wristband was still a mystery, but he dismissed it as something of sentimental significance.  He looked up, forcing a smile.  “It’s not important.”  Thankfully, Prompto didn’t press him, and minutes later, they squeezed into his too-small bed.  He only had one pillow, so they shared.  Noctis assumed this was the same bed he had slept in since he was a child.  Now, Prompto had outgrown it so much so that his feet hung off the bed.  It bothered him that it was so small, and he apologized, but Noctis didn’t care.  In fact, he relished the opportunity to be close to him.  They both were lying on their sides, so he carefully snaked his arm around Prompto’s middle and rested his head against his shoulders.  He felt…safe.  And to his surprise, he drifted off faster than he thought he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued support! This was initially only going to have two chapters, but I decided to break it into three. Bonus chapter! Woohoo!


	3. Chapter Three

            Noctis climbed into the hot shower, letting the water beat against his face and chest.  Maybe this would make him feel better.  Maybe it would erase the thoughts that kept bubbling to the surface, those treacherous thoughts that Prompto wasn’t who he said he was.  They were more prevalent now that he was back at home, having acquiesced to Prompto’s suggestion that he have some “Noct-time.”  And so here he was, using up all the hot water, turning it up hotter and hotter to burn away the memories of that conversation with Ignis.  He was still angry, but the time he’d had to think on it had only made him feel ashamed of the way he had acted.  Maybe…in his own way, Ignis had been trying to help.  He pressed his hands into his face, squeezing his eyes shut, then ran his hands through his hair.  After another twenty minutes or so, he shut the water off, but only because his phone was vibrating on the vanity.

            He stepped out of the shower and stood there, dripping wet.  The phone started vibrating again, so he answered it.  “Are you at home?”  It was Ignis.

            “What’s it to you?” he said, watching water dripping from his hair. Noctis couldn’t bring himself to be civil just yet.

            “I’m outside your front door.”  There was a pause.  “I have something for you.”

            “You’re gonna have to wait,” he said flatly.  “I just got out of the shower.”

            “Take your time.”  Ignis sounded different.  His voice wasn’t nearly as strained as it had been the other night.  Maybe he had gotten a decent amount of sleep after he had plunged that figurative dagger into Noctis’s back.

            He pulled on a t-shirt as he padded to the door.  After disarming the security system, he opened the door wide, letting the handle hit the wall.

            “May I come in, please?”

            Noctis eyed him, leaning against the door.  He looked like himself again, cleaned and pressed, not a hair out of place, and clutching a messenger bag in his gloved hand.  “Whatever.”  Noctis turned around and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open for him.

            Ignis followed him inside.  “Get a fire going, please,” he said, sitting down and resting the bag on his lap.

            “Why, are you cold?” Noctis smirked.

            “Just do as I ask, please,” Ignis said tersely, emptying the bag of its contents. Noctis rolled his eyes and got the fire going in the fireplace.  By the time it was ready, Ignis was beside him, holding several files in his hands.  He looked down at them, then glanced up at Noctis.  “You recognize these, I think, from the other day.”

            Noctis furrowed his brow.  “Those are the files from your house.”  He paused, watching him.  “What are you doing?”

            Ignis smiled wryly.  “Everything we know about Prompto Argentum.  It’s not much, but it’s enough to arouse suspicion in the wrong sort of people.”  He adjusted his glasses.  “I was trying to help, looking for any scrap of evidence to disprove what’s in here,” he said, tapping the files against his hand.  “But it became clear that this was the only way.”  Before Noctis could say anything, he tossed the files into the fireplace.

            Noctis stood there dumbstruck for a moment, blown away by the gesture of loyalty his advisor had just displayed.  “Aren’t you worried about wrecking your career?” Noctis asked as the flames licked at the paperwork.

            “A little,” Ignis shrugged.  “But I was more concerned about ruining something far more valuable to me.”

            “You don’t have to say it,” Noctis interrupted, grimacing.  “I don’t need you to get all emotional on me.”

            Ignis crossed his arms, staring at the fire, the faintest glimmer of a smile on his face.  The papers had all but turned to ash now, and Noctis wondered how he would explain this away to the Crownsguard.  “You know all I’ve done is bought you some time.  I haven’t fixed things for you.”

            Noctis nodded.  “I know.”

            “And I still stand by what I said,” he continued.  Noctis glanced at him sidelong.  “It can only end badly.”  He place his hand on Noctis’s shoulder for a brief moment, then started for the door.  “Just think about it.”

            Noctis turned around.  He gave a slight nod.  “I will.”  After a moment’s pause, he said, gesturing behind him, “Thanks for this.  It…means a lot.”

            Ignis bowed his head.  “Certainly.”

            And then he was out the door.  Noctis knew he was right, that it was only a matter of time before he would have to face reality.  The sooner he realized it, the better, probably.  He pulled out his phone.  Then again, they still had a little time.  It’d be a shame to waste it.

            “Prompto?”

            “Hey, Noct,” came a sleepy voice on the other end.  “Sorry, I guess I was napping.”

            “Do you want to hang out tonight?” he asked.  “I can pick you up…if you need a ride.”

            “Yeah, but…what happened to Noct-time?” Prompto said, laughing a little.

            Noctis smiled.  “That was your idea.  I don’t really want to spend any more time with myself.  I’d…rather spend it with you.”

            “Okay, pick me up.  Then we can go to that little place around the corner from my place,” he said excitedly.  “They have the _best_ curry you’ve ever tasted!  Oh!  And I’ll bring a change of clothes this time.”

            Noctis smiled, listening to him chatter on.  He grabbed his keys and left the apartment, locking the door behind him.  “Don’t be offended if I totally crash once we get back to my place.”

            “Dude, I’ll be right there with you,” Prompto said, then yawned noisily.  “So, you on your way?”

            “Yeah, I’ll be there soon.  I’m about to get on the elevator, though, so I gotta go,” Noctis said.

            “Okay…”

            “Love you.”


End file.
